


Breath Of Life

by afteriwake



Series: Lingering Winter [9]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 11:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was a new day, a new relationship in the making, and he was glad for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breath Of Life

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally titled "Brand New Day" but I have another fic with that name so I changed it.

He had slept well, and he awoke refreshed and peaceful. It was late, he realized with a slight start, and he knew it was going to look bad the later he was, but he didn’t want to leave her alone just yet, not while she was still sleeping. As much as he would have liked to spend the day with her, there was work to be done, but for right now, until she woke up, work could wait for just a little longer.

He shifted so he could look at her as he let his hand glide up and down the side of her waist idly. He had hoped the evening would turn out like that, but he would have been okay with things if it hadn’t. He still would have woken up next to her and he knew he still would have had that peaceful night, only he would still be missing something. That was something else he felt: more complete than he had in a very long time, or at least since he’d realized he cared very deeply for Matsumoto and wished that they could be more than just friends.

She woke up after a few moments and smiled at him, pulling him in for a kiss before he could say anything. If he wasn’t careful, he would spend the whole day with her, duties be damned. Hitsugaya probably wouldn’t like that, though, and since the 9th squad was still captain-less, he was all they had. Reluctantly, he pulled himself away, promising her that they would talk later. A slightly worried expression crossed her face for a moment, but it was gone before he could comment on it, though her brows were still slightly furrowed as she got out of her bed.

They dressed quietly, and before he left he told her that he was looking forward to the evening, when they could spend more time together alone. She smiled then, and the furrowed brow went away. He had to smile himself at that. Whatever it was that had bothered her, and he had an idea that it had to do with last night being a mistake or something along those lines, was gone now, and he watched her walk away with a slight bounce in her step.

The day went by at its regular pace and he was productive, even with the late start. There were many things to be done, and he was doing the work of both a Captain and a Lieutenant. He saw Matsumoto once during the day when she brought him something to eat and reminded him, as she had many times before, that he couldn’t work through the entire day without eating. This was an old habit, that she or Kira or one of his squad members would arrive at the office and gently remind him that he needed to eat, though sometimes Matsumoto didn’t do it that gently and rather demanded he take the time to eat, as she was doing today. He knew he focused too much on his work and not enough on himself at times, and the thought that they cared enough to look out for his well-being made him feel good.

She then told him that she would not get to see him until late tonight; Hitsugaya had found a hidden mountain of paperwork and had said that he was going to stand over her until it was done. She said this with a sigh and a slight smile, and he knew it was part of the game she played with her Captain, and he also knew that if she did at least half of it Hitsugaya would relent and let her leave. Maybe less if the need for him to visit Hinamori like he did every night became overpowering.

When she was gone he took a break to wonder about things. There was a new direction his life had taken, since it seemed that Matsumoto wanted more than just one night together. There was the fact that they were both Lieutenants, which didn’t complicate things too much, but it had been hinted that, whether he liked it or not, he might become Captain of 9th squad, and that _could_ complicate things. As he worked the thoughts in his head, though, he increasingly found that he didn’t care. For the first time in a very long time he had something he wanted, and he didn’t want to let it go.

After his day was finished he went back to his room and waited. He didn’t just wait, as there were things he could do to pass time that were of interest to him, but in the end it boiled down to waiting. Then he heard the knock and went to go let her in. He opened the door and saw her standing there, the expression on her face the one he loved to see, the smile with the mischievous tilt that meant that she was in a good mood and wanted to stay that way. He let her in and then it hit him that he was unsure of exactly what to do.

Matsumoto solved that problem quickly, sitting down at his table and beginning to tell him about her day, drawing him into a conversation as he sat close. This was good, this was normal. He could deal with things now as long as their friendship stayed the same. As he relaxed, and she did as well, he knew that tonight would be a good night, just as last night had been, and maybe now was the start of a more peaceful set of nights.


End file.
